TRW Heavy Duty Electric Park Brake For High Volume Light Truck Platform

LIVONIA, Mich., March 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TRW), will bring the weight savings and diverse functions of its electric park brake  (EPB) technology to the light truck market beginning with a first-to-market  introduction on a high volume North American  platform in 2017.

"Extending the range of our electric park brake to light trucks and sport utility vehicles is important for several reasons," according to Ed Carpenter, vice president and general manager of TRW's global braking business. "EPB can save more than 20 pounds per vehicle for larger trucks and SUVs when compared to conventional drum-in-hat park brakes – leading to enhanced fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions.

"In addition shifting from a mechanically controlled to an electronically controlled solution enables many new functions that can work with other vehicle systems to add value for consumers. For example EPB can work in conjunction with electronic stability control to help allow for safer emergency stops by preventing wheel lock, or help relieve fatigue in traffic jam situations by holding the vehicle stationary when needed and allowing the vehicle to move forward when safe to proceed," Carpenter said.

Further advantages include freeing up interior cabin space through the elimination of levers or foot pedals used to engage mechanical park brakes as well as the brake cabling – all replaced by a simple button or switch and electronic wiring. This simplifies vehicle assembly, allows for more flexible interior design and saves more weight.

TRW is a pioneer in electronic parking brake technology and has more than 50 million EPB calipers on world roadways. The heavy duty EPB solution features higher clamp loads - from 18.5 kilonewtons (kN) for larger passenger cars, light trucks and mid-size SUVs - to the heavy duty version with a 25 kN clamp load.

About TRW

With 2014 sales of $17.5 billion, TRW Automotive ranks among the world's leading automotive suppliers. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in 24 countries and employs approximately 65,000 people worldwide.  TRW Automotive products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services.  All references to "TRW Automotive", "TRW" or the "Company" in this press release refer to TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated.  TRW Automotive news is available on the internet at www.trw.com.  

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains statements that are not statements of historical fact, but instead are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.  All forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, including those set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 (our "Form 10-K"), such as:  the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the ZF merger agreement, which could have a material adverse effect on us and our stock price; the inability to consummate  the proposed ZF merger or the inability to consummate the ZF merger in the timeframe or manner currently anticipated, due to the failure to satisfy conditions to completion of the proposed ZF merger, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction, could have a material adverse effect on us and our stock price; risks related to disruption of management's attention from our ongoing business operations due to the ZF merger; the effect of the announcement of the proposed ZF merger on the Company's relationships with its customers, suppliers, joint venture partners and others, as well as our operating results and business generally; strengthening of the U.S. dollar and other foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacting our results; economic conditions adversely affecting our business, results or the viability of our supply base; risks associated with non-U.S. operations, including economic and political uncertainty in some regions, adversely affecting our business, results or financial condition; any developments related to antitrust investigations adversely affecting our financial condition, results, cash flows or reputation; pricing pressures from our customers adversely affecting our profitability; global competition adversely affecting our sales, profitability or financial condition; any disruption in our information technology systems adversely impacting our business and operations; any shortage of supplies causing a production disruption for any customers or us; the loss of any of our largest customers or a significant amount of their business, or a significant decline in their production levels, adversely affecting us; our contingent liabilities and tax matters causing us to incur losses or costs; any inability to protect our intellectual property rights adversely affecting our business or our competitive position; costs or adverse effects on our business, reputation or results from governmental regulations; work stoppages or other labor issues at our facilities or those of our customers or others in our supply chain adversely affecting our business, results or financial condition; commodity inflationary pressures adversely affecting our profitability or supply base; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the Company's Form 10-K under "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by such cautionary statements. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any update or revision to any of the forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.

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